Rainbow
Trout

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of
the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The
steelhead is a sea-run rainbow trout (anadromous)
usually returning to freshwater to spawn after two
to three years at sea; rainbow trout and steelhead
trout are the same species. The fish are often called
salmon trout. Several other fish in the salmonid
family are called trout, some are anadromous like
salmon, whereas others are resident in freshwater
only.

The species has been introduced for food or sport
to at least 45 countries, and every continent except
Antarctica. In some locations, such as Southern
Europe, Australia and South America, they have negatively
impacted upland native fish species, either by eating
them, outcompeting them, transmitting contagious
diseases, (such as whirling disease transmitted
by Tubifex) or hybridization with closely related
species and subspecies that are native to western
North America.

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